Tofu Jerky

This is the original tofu jerky by Mike Richichi, rewritten per his recommendation for more water in the marinade. His recipe calls for 1 pound of tofu, but a jelly roll pan will hold at least 1-1/2 pounds, and there is plenty of marinade for it all. I’ve tried a couple of variations, but the original one is our favorite. This keeps a long while without refrigeration (we’ve always eaten it in a week, so I don’t know how long.) It also makes a good sandwich with lots of lettuce and tomato.
Tofu Jerky1 to 1-1/2 pounds firm or extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup soy sauce (I like Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
3 tablespoons liquid smoke
5 tablespoons water (see note)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper (I recommend freshly ground Tellicherry pepper)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon agave nectar

Drain tofu and cut into strips 4 to 5 millimeters thick. (It’s going to shrink when you cook it.) Whisk together marinade ingredients and add to tofu strips. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Remove tofu from marinade and put in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake at 200 F for 4 to 8 hours, until jerky is firm and chewy. (I use the convection bake setting and it’s done in 3 1/2 hours, usually.)

Note: if you put the soy sauce and liquid smoke into a measuring cup, you don’t need to measure the water. Just add enough water to make the liquids total 1 cup.